


Light Up My Heart

by Agrippa, baeconandeggs



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Drama, Elementals, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Modern Fantasy, Power!au, Romance, Slice of Life, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 12:55:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14671548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agrippa/pseuds/Agrippa, https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs
Summary: It’s been eight years since Chanyeol, a young elemental adrift, started running- running away from his fears, running away from his problems, running away from the messes he created along the way. In a cruel, unforgiving world where his kind is condemned simply for existing, It’s all he can do. It’s all he knows how to do.He doesn’t want to run anymore.





	Light Up My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt #:** BAE138
> 
> **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** To my prompter, I hope you enjoyed where I went with this. It was a unique concept to work with and I do hope I did it justice. Personally, while it’s not incredibly elaborate or lengthly, I think it turned out alright. Originally I had intended on going with a darker concept/setting, but It took a more slife-of-life approach. To my readers- thank you for reading!

  
The patter of rain on wet pavement forms a chorus in his ears, punctuated every so often by the sound of vehicles driving past- water licking up the tires as they spin. The relentless ice-cold shower falls harsh and unforgiving down upon him- bordering on painful against the exposed skin of his neck, face, and forearms. 

But at the very least, he isn't cold- in fact, his temperature remains largely unaffected, with the barely audible sizzling of cold water against his heated body, steam rising off of his form in waves. It isn't visible amidst the storm raging on around him- idly, he can't help but find the state of the weather appropriate, as though a reflection of the torment echoing throughout the recesses of his mind. Too loud to allow him to formulate cohesive, intelligible thoughts. 

Instead, he focuses on the glow at the tip of the lit cancer-stick held loosely between his closed lips. The _action_ itself is more habitual than the actual _practice,_ than the actual process of smoking- there's something uncannily _soothing_ about resuming the habits he'd been made to kick long ago- it's the sense of normalcy he feels, that draws him. The sense of okayness. The memories of sneaking out at 1AM, climbing down from his bedroom window on the second story of his childhood home, back when he had a home to sneak out of. Had someone to sneak away from. 

Before he and Yura had received the tragic news via national television, that their parents had somehow been involved in an altercation with the RF Ops, and would never be coming home again. It was a perfect testament to how they'd always be regarded. As criminals, as monsters, as rabid, dangerous animals that were to be put down. The RF would continue to be painted as heroes, as protectors of the people, but they were nothing more than murderers. 

On the night of August 13th, the night he and his older sister were orphaned, Chanyeol lost control for the first time. 

It started in small bursts, entirely against his will- belongings, possessions, the traces of his parents, the traces of their once imperfect, but ultimately _happy_ life, catching fire near him and quickly spreading throughout the house. Spreading, growing, rising, and in no less than half an hour, the entire house had gone up in flames around him. Neither he, nor Yura, had done a thing about it- the siblings just sitting on the living-room floor with their hands intertwined, staring lifelessly, wordlessly, into the bright, roaring inferno surrounding them. 

From that point onward, it was an uphill battle to find a place he could call _home._

It happened again.  
  
And it happened again.  
  
Always following a particularly upsetting event, or even simply a vivid reminder. August 13th became a cursed date, mental instability making way for further, repeated loss of control, and subsequently forcing him to move to entirely different cities- places where no one knew his face, no one knew his _name_. Places where he was simply _Park Chanyeol,_ and nothing more. Places where he _wasn't_ Park Chanyeol, the serial arsonist. He'd taken to changing his identity, false names and documentation- illegal, certainly, but he could argue that him being a fire Elemental was much, _much_ more concerning. 

His natural hair color was a vibrant red, but he'd been dyeing it black ever since he had started going to school. Going out in public- it was infeasible to try anything other than black, as the red always shone through; a very obvious indicator of his disposition. Of the element that controlled him. He tried not to linger on the fact that it was exactly people like _him,_ people who couldn't properly, safely harness their powers, people who involuntarily brought harm to others by losing control like young elementals were wont to, a bad name. Made it hard for the public to see them anything other than criminals. 

  
He took odd jobs- each move opening up the opportunity to try something new, if he so chose- it kept him busy, kept him occupied until he'd inevitably explode and need to go into hiding once more. It happened every few years without fault- but it wasn't for lack of trying. Chanyeol wanted nothing more than to stay in one place, wanted nothing more than to live an average, _normal_ life without the weight of a power he'd never asked for nor wanted, looming over him like a shadow. 

The date is July 31, exactly two weeks away from the day he dreads with every ounce of his being. The day on which he may or may not lose all semblance of composure, only to throw away the new life he's built for himself, built from the ground up. To toss aside the effort he's exerted, and the struggles he's been made to endure purely for the sake of _living_. 

He had been sure to save his vacation days for the dreaded countdown- he had no idea _when_ it would happen, but Chanyeol knew that he just wanted to be far, _far_ away from any other people he could possibly harm with his, involuntary, destructive nature. 

But he'd argue that he'd never _really_ been living in the first place. 

No. He's been _surviving._

He has nothing to his name, no attachments or bonds- he can't risk forming attachments. Forming attachments inevitably just leads to heartache. Conflict when things, when _Chanyeol_ begins falling apart at the seams, requiring him to abandon far more than just his own life, but also the lives of others. Friends. Close friends. Lovers. All Chanyeol can afford to make is acquaintances- people who will inevitably forget about him. People who he'll eventually forget about in turn. 

It's the only way he knows _how_ to survive. 

He wishes he could do better. _Yura_ wants him to do better. His parents would have been heartbroken if they could see him- he _knows_ that. 

But he doesn't know _how._

The worst part is not knowing. Not _knowing_ if this is the year he'll lose it. Not _knowing_ if he'll lose everything he's built for himself, in addition to his precariously balanced restraint. 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

A bolt of lightning shooting down from the sky, followed by the rumble of the thunder from the clouds overhead, shook him from his apparent reverie- stubbing out his cigarette with a soft sigh before reluctantly peeling himself from the curb and making his way back to his apartment building. 

After unlocking the door and stepping into the foyer, he drew his hand up to wipe at his brow, grimacing when he found his skin stained with black when he brought it back down again. 

Before it could swing shut and latch once more, a second person was hurriedly darting in beside him, pushing past him- panting heavily, as though he'd been running, and equally as soaked as Chanyeol. Chanyeol expected him to perhaps spare him a glance at most, but instead, the man turned around to face him completely- casting him a long, hard look, eyes searching, but rather than say anything, he bowed his head and abruptly, rapidly and repetitively shook his head from side to side in a haphazard attempt to shake some of the water out of his soaking hair- blond strands having been plastered to his skin. 

Almost like… A dog. 

Chanyeol stared, confusion written plainly across his features. 

"Hello!" The man began, voice far too bright, and far too cheery for how miserable the weather was outside. How awful he himself felt. He nodded once, intending on being on his way, but the nameless stranger seemed insistent. Upon further inspection, Chanyeol noted that he was dressed in a pair of blue hospital scrubs and that he had a pair of frameless glasses perched on his nose- he didn't have the time to wonder how they'd managed to stay on after the vigorous dog-esque shaking of his head. 

Said nameless stranger reached his hand out- and Chanyeol gave it a long, contemplative glance before warily reaching out to shake it- Chanyeol may have been a lot of things, but he wasn't _rude_. 

"Oh, wow. Your skin is _really_ warm," He began, expression indecipherable, seemingly ignorant of the alarm that showed on Chanyeol's face with the statement, but congenial smile returning once more, "I just moved in here about… A week ago? What floor are you on?" Chatty. 

"Top floor," He supplied simply. 

"Really? Me too-" He began, before something suddenly seemed to dawn on him and had him casting a glance down towards his watch, before frowning deeply, "Oh, dear. Uh… I hate to cut this short but, I have to be up at 5AM tomorrow morning and, It's a lot later than I thought," He cleared his throat before smiling again. 

"But, It's nice to meet you…?" 

"Chanyeol," He murmured, slightly wary. 

"Chanyeol. Then, it's nice to meet you, _Chanyeol._ I'm Baekhyun, but, we'll have to talk another time, maybe? You don't seem to be particularly interested in talking to me, judging by your expression, but we'll see, yeah?" 

And with a short wave, before Chanyeol could offer anything in response, he was bolting up the stairs- haste made apparent. 

Chanyeol stared blankly at the empty space before him for an indefinite amount of time- gears turning in his brain, confusion knitting at his brows. The interaction hadn't been anything noteworthy, but, _Baekhyun_ had seemed to be oddly observant, if not a little strange. Chanyeol could rationalize that he wasn't exactly one to talk, in that regard. 

_That,_ and he'd never actually _talked_ with any of his neighbours, in the shared apartment complex. Nothing beyond a slight wave and an awkward half-smile, here or there. 

Two days later found him brooding outwardly in much the same way he had the day prior, only, while the weather was still dreary, and the skies were overcast, the pelting of freezing rain was thankfully omitted. His thoughts were a little more clear. 

"I know it isn't any of my business-" A vaguely familiar voice sounded from his right- equally as cheery as it had been two days ago, but with a hint of what could only be chiding. Chanyeol turned his head, expression deadpan. 

"You're right," He answered with a shrug, turning to face the street once more. It was Baekhyun, again. He fully anticipated a comment directed towards the cigarette hanging between his lips, fully anticipated _ignoring_ said comment directed towards the cigarette. It wasn't the first time, nor the second someone would be sticking their nose where it didn't belong, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. 

Baekhyun made to sit down beside him with a huff, drawing his feet up onto the curb and resting his chin on top of of his knees, arms wound around his calves to hold his legs in place. 

"But, as a nurse, I must say-" 

_Here we go._ Chanyeol internalized. 

"You _really_ shouldn't be sitting this close to the street while there's vehicles driving past. It's dangerous, you know? Cars are scary. Why don't you just… Sit on a bench?" 

_Huh?_ His dumbstruck expression was clear for all of five seconds. 

"Alright, wait- let me guess… Does it make it harder to pout if you're sitting comfortably? Or to look like you're troubled? I'm not here to judge you if you like bruising your flat ass on the concrete, but…" He trailed off, Chanyeol frowned, looking to him expectantly and waiting for him to finish his sentiment. 

Baekhyun met his gaze- amusement apparent in his eyes and the slight smirk on his mouth. 

"And also, that brand of cigarettes? It's _awful._ Don't get me wrong, smoking in general is just, awful- don't even get me started, but if you're going to slowly kill yourself by inhaling nicotine and other miscellaneous chemicals that you probably can't even name, you should at least be smoking something worth dying for." To Chanyeol's surprise, Baekhyun _tutted_ at him shortly thereafter. 

"Are you… Seriously scolding me right now?" Chanyeol mumbled dumbly, blinking heavily, and uttering a long suffering sigh when Baekhyun just smiled brightly and nodded in assent. 

"And did you… Just call my ass flat, too?" 

"I _did._ Sorry, Chanyeol- but it _is_ pretty flat," He nodded emphatically, smile ever present. Entirely _un_ apologetic. 

He was making it _incredibly_ difficult for his internal monologue and turmoil to continue brewing. 

"Your ass is just as flat as mine is, Baekhyun," He scoffed, petulant, eyeing him warily when Baekhyun leered towards him with his chin in his hand, eyebrows raised. Chanyeol swallowed dryly. 

"So you've been staring at my ass?" 

Chanyeol released an exasperated sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face- willing himself not to challenge him further in bringing up the fact that he'd indicated the exact same thing just seconds prior. 

"I don't even _know_ you." 

"Apparently you know me well enough to know the shape of my ass, though." 

"You're insufferable," Chanyeol protested, jaw clenching. 

"And _you're_ a pervert. You had to have been paying _really_ close attention to be able to make that judgement while only ever seeing me dressed in scrubs. I promise that you'll change your mind when you see me in jeans. Or nothing- whatever comes first, right?" 

Chanyeol promptly choked on his own saliva. 

Something Chanyeol discovered _very_ quickly was that Baekhyun was _loud._

Loud, in everything he did- his lack of volume control, his heavy steps, his incessant tapping and humming, the sound of his television turned up just high enough for Chanyeol to be able to hear what movie he was watching through the wall between their respective apartments. And, of course, last but not least- 

" _Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck-"_

Chanyeol glared darkly at his ceiling, attempting to muffle the sound by covering his ears with his pillow and finding that he was largely unsuccessful. 

" _Yes. Yes!"_

It had been scarcely four days and Chanyeol already found himself preying witness to Baekhyun's apparently _very_ active, and vigorous sex life. 

He was quickly discovering that in addition to him being nosy and inappropriate, Baekhyun was the _worst_ neighbor ever. Nothing short of a _nightmare._

A loud, _sharp_ cry sounded, followed by a series of what he could only imagine to be whimpers and- 

The lights abruptly went out. 

What the _fuck._

It _had_ to have been coincidental, perhaps a one-off event- so while he was vaguely annoyed, he didn't think much of it. 

But then it happened _again._

And _again._

Chanyeol was _tired-_ He couldn't _not_ bring it up. 

Plainly, "Baekhyun…" He began, and the _nurse,_ as he'd learned, hummed in acknowledgement- beside him on the park-bench he'd all but forced Chanyeol to sit on in place of the curb. It had become an almost... Routine- Chanyeol pointedly remained outside for as long as he could, each day, with the 13th just on the horizon. 

He felt like a ticking time-bomb. 

Baekhyun had just seen it fit to begin joining him- had taken to visiting with him, interacting with him daily- if his hectic, inconsistent schedule allowed for him to. Usually, as Baekhyun had taken to referring to it, he could find Chanyeol on _his curb,_ _his_ because he sat in the same exact spot each time. He didn't hesitate to point it out when he'd first started taking notice. 

And on the days he _couldn't_ be found outside, after the _one_ time Chanyeol had allowed him, Baekhyun had no qualms with letting himself into Chanyeol's apartment. 

"It's great that you have someone to fuck or whatever, but, can you _please_ be quieter? I'm losing out on sleep because of you." 

Baekhyun sent him a long, indecipherable glance- eyebrow arched. 

"...What?" Chanyeol tried carefully. 

"The only thing I'm fucking is my _hand_ ," He corrected hastily. 

"I'd say I'll try but, I'm probably just going to forget so maybe just, bang on the wall or something next time." 

It shouldn't have been necessary- but it was ultimately a reprieve nonetheless. 

_"That,_ and what do you need to rest for anyways? You're always here, or outside." 

"I'm on my paid vacation…" He supplied with a frown. 

"Oh… Well, honestly, this _really_ doesn't seem like much of a vacation. Why'd you waste it if you were just going to stay at home anyways?" 

"I…" He began, eyebrows furrowed as he worried at his lower lip. What was he meant to say to that? That he was laying low and isolating himself because he ran the risk of lighting everything around him on fire? Of harming others? 

"I just… Need to take it easy for a little while." 

Baekhyun's confused expression implored him to reveal more. 

"Are you sick?" Confusion morphed into something that was more along the lines of _concern,_ and Chanyeol sighed softly, scrubbing a hand over his face. 

"Did you get injured?" He continued, speaking a little more quickly, laying a hand over his heart. 

"No, no- I'm f-" He cut himself off with an audible click of his teeth, expression conflicted. Was he? Was he fine? It felt wrong to lie so blatantly, felt wrong to supply him with anything other than the truth. He reasoned that Baekhyun would have caught him, either way. He was good at that. Reading people. _Too_ good. 

And yet, Chanyeol didn't feel the need to distance himself. 

Instead of elaborating further, he answered him with silence. Baekhyun didn't try and pry, but the concern remained. 

In addition to his noise, Baekhyun was _invasive._ Wasn't cold, but was blunt- sometimes with an almost clinical sort of efficiency, of outlook on things. Baekhyun was _extremely_ compassionate, was _very_ adamant on involving himself in things that he'd otherwise never take any part of, simply because he thought he could _potentially_ help; it was to a fault. 

His focus right then just happened to be on Chanyeol- who very quickly learnt that Baekhyun's positive attitude towards _everything_ , his optimism, was almost _infectious_. He found himself behaving in ways, _thinking_ in ways that he thought were forever behind him. Back when he'd been carefree, back when he gave a shit about the world, about the people who populated it. 

Baekhyun had started to make him see the _good_ in things. The _bright_ side of things, if you will. The glow of his personality touched everything that surrounded him, had Chanyeol seeing that Baekhyun's personality acted much like a source of light- only _his_ light came in the form of positivity and warmth. Of genuineness, of _caring._

Chanyeol couldn't help but feel as though his career path of choice was appropriate. Befitting. Was an extension of his personality, just short of natural. 

Baekhyun certainly wasn't _pure_ , but his heart, his true intentions, were- and it showed. 

And as such, it was equally heartbreaking as it was unsettling when he witnessed his tears- His irrefutable pain, for the first time. 

For the first time in eight years, Chanyeol woke up on the thirteenth of August without being plagued by painful memories of his parents, of the house fire he'd caused, and the subsequent fires he'd been at fault for thereafter, of his hatred towards the RF, and all they stood for. Without even _realizing_ it was the thirteenth, after checking his phone to see the time when he awoke to knocking on his front door. The only thing telling him that it _had_ to be Baekhyun, even if Baekhyun never knocked, was the single notification at the top of his screen, too bright, and equally as alarming- a text that he'd received from him at 4:00AM, composed of just three simple words- 

_i need you._

It was 5:33AM- just about a half hour after Baekhyun's nightshift ended at the hospital, and a few minutes short of when he usually arrived home- indicating that he'd likely rushed to get there, and _immediately_ went to Chanyeol's apartment instead of his own. 

Initially, no words were shared when Chanyeol opened the front door- no explanation was given, but Baekhyun's reddened, swollen, puffy eyes were enough of an indicator already that _something_ was wrong, that something had upset him to the point of tears. Chanyeol felt his heart sink when the nurse sniffled and shuffled past- heading towards the couch as he always did, but pausing a few feet away and raising a hand to his eyes as he inhaled shakily. Stilling, like he didn't even know what to do with himself. 

Truthfully, Chanyeol didn't quite know what to do- what he possibly _could_ do, for Baekhyun, who he'd known for all of _two weeks_ , who he was still having trouble acknowledging as a friend- but then the hiccuping, choked out sobs that he'd likely been suppressing for the final stretch of his night shift at the hospital, began, and it was impulse that put him into action. 

He hesitated for all of five seconds before approaching him somewhat awkwardly, pulling him in, and clenching his jaw with the tight feeling around his heart as Baekhyun crumpled against him, fisting the fabric of his sweatshirt and burying his face into his chest. 

_I need you._ He reiterated internally once more- and suddenly, the embrace became a lot less strained. A lot less uncomfortable, Chanyeol's arms tightening around his smaller, shaking body- and it felt nothing short of natural to just close his eyes and bury his face into his platinum hair. 

And really, the situation was far from optimal. The mood was far from ideal, but Chanyeol had never been a _good_ liar- _especially_ not to himself- so he couldn't possibly deny that it felt… Right. It felt right. _Baekhyun_ , his loud, abrasive, silly neighbor, someone who had grown close to him in a short period of time, and indirectly made things seem a little less dark, irrefutably felt _right._

The revelation wasn't something he felt the need to shy away from- like he, perhaps, _normally_ would have, in any other scenario. He could argue that, there had been nothing _normal_ about Baekhyun from the get-go. 

In fact, his own comfort, his own feelings were quite possibly the _last_ thing on his mind at that point. Right now, what mattered was Baekhyun. Right now, Chanyeol's concern laid in making him feel okay again- even if he didn't _quite_ know how to. 

Harsh, _ugly_ sobs tore through his entire body. His entire _being-_ and surely, if he hadn't had Chanyeol holding onto him right then, he'd have collapsed into a heap on the floor. Made himself as small as humanly possible, just to see if, _maybe,_ he could disappear entirely. 

Chanyeol carefully shuffled them over to the sofa- falling back onto the piece of furniture with a sigh- Baekhyun went with him, settled into his lap, grip on his sweater unrelenting- like he needed something to ground himself, and Chanyeol was the perfect conductor. 

Almost subconsciously he found himself slowly stroking up and down the length of Baekhyun's back, the other finding his light hair and continuously running through it- two actions that seemingly had the smaller man melting against him, despite the fact that his level of upset hadn't subsided, the tears continued, the broken sobs coming until his voice ran hoarse. Chanyeol began to gradually feel more and more helpless, heart clenching uncomfortably in his chest. 

Briefly, he considered simply _not_ asking what had occurred, what had brought the breakdown on- but he knew firsthand that repressing those feelings and thoughts, that refusing to talk to another about something painful that had happened, would lead to Baekhyun never _truly_ feeling better. He needed to be heard. 

And Chanyeol was ready to listen for the first time in a long, _long_ time. 

"Can you… Can you tell me what happened?" He tried carefully, unsure, after Baekhyun began quieting. He didn't offer him a response for some time, leading Chanyeol to believe that at that point in time, he just didn't feel like talking about the issue at hand. He resolved to try again later, just before Baekhyun inhaled shakily, sniffled pathetically and his grip on Chanyeol tightened. 

"Th-" His voice cracked, rough from the strain that had been put on his throat, but pushed through, "Th-There was…." A deep, wet breath, fingers digging into his skin, teeth gritting- saying it aloud made it real, but saying nothing wouldn't change the fact that it truly _was._

"This fucking _kid,"_ Voice breaking, sobs threatening to begin anew, Baekhyun had to take a few seconds longer to compose himself. 

"He was j-just a fucking _kid,"_ He shook his head, tried to bite back his tears- but was ultimately unsuccessful in his endeavour. 

Only when they seemed to somewhat subside once more did he attempt to continue, lifelessness slowly inflecting his tone. 

"Last night, this… _Kid_ was brought into the ER on a stretcher- severe blood-loss, a concussion. He was hurting. He needed to be monitored- and as one of the few night-staff, I was… Assigned to his case." His voice was thick. Strained. Congested- Chanyeol _almost_ wanted him to stop talking, if only to see the discomfort from doing so vanish from his face. 

"We stabilized him, but from that point, I had to make sure to watch him to prevent him from falling asleep. Physically, he seemed to be doing okay, but he was _distraught._ It was… Something happened to his parents…" Baekhyun trailed off sadly, and Chanyeol felt a sudden chill run down his spine. 

Parents. Distraught. 

A sudden, sinking realization. August 13th. 

"There was a huge commotion with the RF bursting into the clinic- when I saw the black uniforms and full-face masks, it was pretty clear." 

"I thought… I honestly _hoped_ that it was because of me. I wish it would have been me." A shaky breath, "But it wasn't. They went for the fucking _kid._ They didn't even _say_ anything beyond the fact that he needed to be taken into containment- that he was _dangerous."_

"And… He was just… So broken, Chanyeol. He didn't even _do_ anything _wrong_. He was hurting, he was scared, he was crying, and they just… They took him and _left._ Oh _God."_

_"_ They didn't _care_ that he was a kid. They didn't _care_ that he wasn't guilty of anything. They didn't _care_ that he was in desperate need of continued medical attention. How… How can they do that? We're _people_." 

"I-I tried to stop- I even, I even got in _front_ of him. But I… Got pulled away by another nurse before I could get myself into any real trouble." 

A deep breath, "I would have. I would have gladly gotten myself into trouble if it meant that that kid would have been safe." 

After a few minutes of prolonged silence later, Baekhyun shifted in his lap, unclenching his fingers from his soft sleep-shirt- he'd woken him up, he registered dimly. He didn't have the energy to feel bad about it. 

"Chanyeol?" He tried gently, quietly, with a visible wince as he sat back to face him- eyes searching, gaze laced with concern. He wiped his eyes, his nose, with his own sleeve. 

He had remained almost uncharacteristically silent- face impassive. He wasn't usually _talkative_ , but he always had _something_ to say. Baekhyun worried at his lower lip, contemplative. 

Arms winding around his shoulders shook him from his apparent reverie- bright eyes burrowing into his own, a myriad of colors, emotions, flashing through them. _Prismatic_ , Chanyeol recognized, a foreign, distinct sensation welling up inside of his chest. Baekhyun's eyes were _prismatic._

Beautiful. 

They slowly seemed to settle back down to their normal light-brown hue. 

Baekhyun pulled himself in as close as humanly possible- arms, legs winding around him, trapping him, his face finding the crook of his neck, nosing the underside of his jaw. 

And promptly fell asleep, wrapped up in his embrace. Chanyeol considered moving, but decided that if he woke up with his back sore and a crick in his neck- at least… It would have been worthwhile. 

But sleep never came to claim him. 

The unsettling, almost _ill_ feeling seemed to linger- hanging over him like a dark raincloud. _August 13th,_ he internalized once more, something that felt a lot like dread, like anxiety, blooming in his chest. Baekhyun had unwittingly proven to be a temporary distraction, but with silence falling upon them once more, he was left with only his thoughts for company. 

Baekhyun made a soft sound in his sleep, shifted in his lap, and much to Chanyeol's surprise, " _Bed,"_ he mumbled, half-awake, and Chanyeol found that he was eager to oblige. Holding him tightly, securely, and nearly listing over after standing too quickly, Chanyeol laid him down atop his mussed sheets- _well, attempted_ to lay him down, but Baekhyun seemed to have zero intention of letting go, forcing Chanyeol to go along with him. 

" _Clothes,"_ he demanded once more- and Chanyeol made pause, confusion pulling at his features that Baekhyun couldn't see. 

"It's too uncomfortable to sleep with them on," he complained, eyes still closed, but it was made apparent that Baekhyun wasn't _nearly_ as far asleep as he was pretending to be. Still, Chanyeol conceded. 

But was slowly beginning to wish he hadn't, with Baekhyun's teasing, yet simultaneously _exhausted_ voice, "It's about time that you had me naked in your bed." Despite his almost _playful_ words, the underlying upset from earlier had remained. He was distracting himself, distracting Chanyeol. 

"You're making me regret opening my door." 

"Mmm. No I'm not," he mumbled, wiggling out of his pants when Chanyeol's tentative hands paused at his waistband. 

Chanyeol fought the urge to shield his eyes. 

He'd never parsed Baekhyun to be _shy_ , but _this_ was a degree of shamelessness that had taken him by surprise. It wasn't everyday that someone had a naked stranger in their bed. 

Granted, at that point in time, Baekhyun was _hardly_ a stranger. In the past two weeks alone, he'd talked to Baekhyun more than he'd _ever_ talked to anyone else outside of work. 

And Chanyeol _hadn't_ let him in, had regarded him in that very same standoffish way that he regarded everyone who attempted to get close to him- a self-defense mechanism. Something that had become almost instinctual. Yet Baekhyun had somehow managed to bypass it all. Had overlooked it entirely. Chanyeol didn't understand- was slightly _scared_ to understand. 

Because even after years of distancing himself from others, Chanyeol's heart had remained the same. He still got too attached, too quickly. He still got too hopeful. He still cared too much for his own good. Trusted too easily. That near childlike mentality had somehow remained intact- but he'd never had anyone to teach him otherwise. He'd never had an example to follow. 

His parents had unwillingly left behind a broken, young, and ignorant boy who was more terrified of the world than the world would ever be afraid of people like him. 

And despite the years passing, despite the world not treating him kindly, despite his life being in ruins, he'd never managed to grow out of it. 

And he _hated_ it. 

Baekhyun _scared_ him. 

Because he _wanted_ to let him in. He _wanted_ to trust him. He _wanted_ to be his friend. 

_Wanting_ was a dangerous thing. 

Cool hands sliding up the front of his shirt brought him back down to reality- blinking rapidly, as though to clear his thoughts. 

"You're really hot," He commented almost casually, and Chanyeol released an exasperated sigh, stomach tensing beneath nimble fingers. A leg draping over his hip, their bodies separated only by the thin barrier provided by Chanyeol's clothing, brought them closer together. 

Voice muffled against his chest, "I mean that literally. Your skin is _really_ hot." Chanyeol stiffened in alarm, debating on putting some distance between them before Baekhyun continued, "It's okay, I… Like it." 

_Oh_. 

With a blanket of quiet settling over them both once more, and the quelled panic from Baekhyun taking notice of his higher body temperature, Baekhyun's earlier professions came to mind. The ones he'd made while telling Chanyeol what had happened in the emergency ward, just some hours prior. 

_I wish it would have been me._

_How can they do that? We're people._

Chanyeol started to feel restless- struggling to suppress his rising hopefulness from welling up inside of him. He probably had just meant it as a general term. Probably just hadn't put any further thought into the matter. 

But… What if he _had_ meant it how Chanyeol wanted him to mean it? 

Unwittingly, he pulled Baekhyun in closer, held him a little tighter, refusing to let go. Baekhyun's eyes flashing, turning prismatic when he'd been overwrought by emotion, was a very obvious indicator- but what if Chanyeol had just been seeing things? What if it had just been a simple trick of the light? 

He was reaching to overlook what was laid out before him, he registered silently- because he'd been alone for so, _so_ long, though he didn't _want_ to be alone, not anymore. Not if there was even a _fraction_ of a chance that he didn't need to be. He was playing a dangerous game. 

On that August 13th, there was no fire, no explosion, no loss of control, and no uprooting. No being forced to move, to leave, lest he wanted to end up in a place worse than prison. 

It wasn't a simple coincidence. 

Baekhyun had been the inhibitor, had been the distraction, had made the pain, the heartache, much easier to bear in the face of his own upset. With the reminder that, despite the world being hard and unforgiving to people like him, maybe _them_ \- to elementals as a whole, there would always be someone suffering more than he was. Someone more scared, more pained, more torn up, than he was inside. 

Because while he had been, outwardly, just scarcely more than a child when he had lost his parents- he hadn't been _alone_ in doing so. 

It hurt. It hurt like hell. 

But, somehow, the burden had been much easier to bear, being split between two siblings- one much older than the other. They had lost their parents, lost their home, lost their imperfect, but ultimately _happy_ lives... But they had still had eachother, and they still had their _freedom._

Despite being scared, and lost, that had been enough to keep them both going at the time. 

It had been eight years, Chanyeol thought over internally. Eight years, and yet each anniversary of their parents death hurt just as much as the last. He hadn't been able to let go, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to, but perhaps…. It was time to try- and not by isolating himself from others, not by uprooting himself, his life, every couple of years. 

It was time to stop _pretending._

And, with Baekhyun… The concept suddenly seemed a lot less daunting. A lot less impossible. He didn't want to allow himself to be hopeful, didn't want to _allow_ himself to get attached- but solely because he was afraid of getting hurt, afraid of hurting others in his wake. Avoidance had always just been the easiest course of action. 

Pretending not to care, had always been what was easiest- because he didn't know how to care without giving it his all, and giving it his all just made it hurt all the more when it failed. 

But Baekhyun had been _insistent_. Baekhyun forcing his way into his life, breaking down a door that had long been sealed shut, had been the sole reason for Chanyeol's internal dilemma. Had been the sole reason he was even _having_ these thoughts, considering an alternative to the way he'd been living for far too long. 

Chanyeol didn't rest soundly, nor comfortably- but rather fell into a fitful sleep. 

Admittedly, however, it was made a lot more pleasant, a lot more welcome, by the fact that he had someone- the fact that he had _Baekhyun_ , wrapped in his arms. 

He didn't discuss the death of his parents later that day- but found solace in the fact that Baekhyun had managed to keep the dark thoughts, the painful memories and emotions at bay. 

Despite himself, Chanyeol couldn't find it in himself to ask what he had wanted to ask, either- decided that, either way, he seemed to empathize with other elementals, and the pain they felt- with or without an element, without powers, of his own. His nearly explosive reaction to what had happened at the hospital, how cruel, how unfair it had been, was only a testament to that. Perhaps he was scared of the answer. Perhaps he liked Baekhyun enough for that not to even be an issue. 

Ultimately, Baekhyun was still, and always would be, Baekhyun- his quirky, loud, and eccentric next-door neighbor. 

Baekhyun had unwittingly broken him down, and built him back up again- turned him into a better, _happier,_ stronger version of what he'd been before. 

The days passed, and their interactions, their level of intimacy, grew. Chanyeol returned to work with a clear conscience, and with less of a burden weighing on his shoulders. Without a constant fear lingering in his subconscious that he'd lose it, that he'd _explode_. There had been no fires, no explosions, and no hysterical crying fits- the dam didn't break, but rather, was carefully deconstructed piece by piece. 

A week later, and Chanyeol cracked a real, _genuine_ smile for the first time in a long time- earning him a deeply exaggerated, shocked reaction from Baekhyun. He found himself laughing despite attempting to school his expression. 

After a month, it had reached point where it felt _wrong_ not to see Baekhyun everyday- which really wasn't too much of an issue, granted that Baekhyun had unofficially-officially moved into Chanyeol's apartment at some point along the way. Chanyeol began to smile more freely, laugh more openly- and to his own pleasant surprise, he found that he was _happy_. 

He was happy, and he _wanted_ to be happy- Chanyeol didn't shy away from the fact that it could almost solely be owed to Baekhyun. Decided that there wasn't much of an issue with that, considering that had been Baekhyun's intention. 

But something Chanyeol couldn't _help_ but shy away from, no matter how much he tried, was Baekhyun's advances, his blatant sexual nature. Baekhyun was a touchy, physical, _sexual_ person, while the extent of Chanyeol's experience in that area was him being well acquainted with his own hand. 

Baekhyun didn't push, though- encouraged, asked, tried, but if Chanyeol began to at all feel uncomfortable, he laid off just as quickly. 

They began with kissing- where Chanyeol very quickly discovered that kissing was a _lot_ more complicated than he'd pictured it to be. Alongside the fact that he was completely _awful_ at it, but that Baekhyun found it endearing, and didn't seem to mind, just seemed eager to guide him. 

Albeit tentatively, Chanyeol once asked in passing why Baekhyun even _wanted_ to be intimate with him when his blatant inexperience, his natural shyness towards sex and nudity, remained so pertinent, and never failed to show. Baekhyun surprised him with a soft, reassuring smile that Chanyeol hadn't even realized he'd needed before gently shaking his head, _'It isn't about sex, Chanyeol_.' He'd said, eyes imploring, _"It's about showing you love and affection in the most physical way possible."_

Chanyeol had flushed pink like a teenager professing his first crush, even though _Baekhyun_ was the one who'd said it- and he couldn't trust his voice. 

_Love?_

_Already?_

Stuttering, sputtering, but determined, _"Y-you… You love me?"_

Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders and offered him a nonchalant nod- speaking as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, " _Of course I do, Chanyeol. How could I not?"_

Chanyeol could think of about a dozen reasons _why_ he shouldn't, couldn't, but answered him with a tentative nod of acceptance. He didn't return the confession, but Baekhyun made sure to remind him of it each day, one way or another- that he was loved, that he was cared for. 

Chanyeol felt special. Felt spoiled. 

It was completely and utterly surreal. 

The admission served to help spark his interest- the knowledge that Baekhyun didn't _expect_ anything from him, didn't _expect_ him to know what he was doing, didn't _expect_ him to make any advances- instead, he was perfectly willing to make the advances on his own. Perfectly willing to do all the work, to let Chanyeol learn at his own pace. 

Chanyeol couldn't help but think in passing that his hesitance really displayed his lack of maturity, of where his thoughts were at. He felt like a teenage boy, when it came to anything involving Baekhyun. Completely smitten. Eager to make him smile, to make him laugh- but never possessing enough courage to give it a voice. 

He had a feeling that Baekhyun already knew. 

Their first time was something that Chanyeol would forever file away in the recesses of his mind- the details, the experience, the sensations, the _feelings._ It was emotional, and intense- at least, it was for Chanyeol. Thoughts that would send the warmth of arousal south, would make him outright blush if he thought about it too deeply for too long. It was impossibly vivid. Every touch. Every taste. Every sound. It left him wanting more. 

Baekhyun made him _want._

Baekhyun made him feel like it was _okay_ for him to _want._

"You look like you're about to cry," He input with a soft, reassuring smile- despite the words, there wasn't an ounce of teasing to be found in them. "Relax, Chanyeol…" He encouraged, voice lowering an octave. 

"We'll take it slow," He assured, slowly laying down on top of him- their chests pressed together, legs twined, with one knee pressed in-between Chanyeol's parted legs as Baekhyun straddled his thigh. Chanyeol just nodded jerkily, swallowing dryly. 

When Baekhyun hovered over him and leaned in to press their lips together- it took him a few seconds before he could _finally_ start relaxing beneath him. It served as both a distraction and a comfort- because _this,_ kissing, was something he was familiar with. Something he understood- thanks to Baekhyun's insistence. 

He brought his hands up to grab Baekhyun's waist- daringly sliding his hands up beneath the fabric and enjoying the way he arched against him in response. One forearm was braced beside Chanyeol's head on the mattress, his opposite hand cupping his face, thumb stroking over his cheek. 

It was slow, was unhurried- and it made it easy for him to melt beneath him- made it easy for him to lose track of thought, and startle beneath him when Baekhyun's hand slipped down between their bodies and grabbed his hardening cock through his jeans. Chanyeol's breath hitched, hips rocking upwards into his touch with a muffled groan, his eyes squeezing shut, grip tightening on Baekhyun's small waist. He palmed him through the thick denim, dug the heel of his palm into his cock, taking pleasure in the way that Chanyeol's hips lifted up into his actions, sought out his touch. Deep, stuttered, hitched groans and sharper gasps escaped him intermittently- spurring him on. Driving him harder. 

In tandem, Baekhyun began riding his thigh- grinding down against his hip, infinitely more composed, even as his own little gasps and sighs were muffled into the kiss. Chanyeol had the sense to press his knee up higher, shuddering at the moan he earned when he rubbed his thigh against his undulating hips- he could feel how hard Baekhyun was through the fabric of his pants, found it thrilling to know that this was _his own_ doing. That Baekhyun was hard, was turned on because of _him,_ that Baekhyun's moans and sighs were ones he'd earned through his actions, through his mere presence. 

Their clothing came next- Baekhyun shifting to sit up in his lap, straddling his hips- ass pressing down against his cock. A smirk twitched across his lips when Chanyeol instinctively grabbed at his hips and pulled him down- a low, throaty groan escaping parted, kiss-swollen lips. 

"Feel good?" He breathed out, eyes raking over the picture he painted, the mess he'd made- Chanyeol looked good- no- _great_ , beneath him. Panting, flushed to the tips of his ears and hard- so _so_ hard. For him. _All_ for him. 

He received a jerky nod in response, Chanyeol chewing at his own bottom lip as he dropped his head back against the mattress- eyes clenched shut, eyebrows pulled together in equal parts discomfort and arousal. 

"Y-yeah…" He stuttered, voice strained, barely audible. 

Baekhyun slowly slid his hands up the front of Chanyeol's shirt, enjoying the way his stomach tensed involuntarily beneath his cool touch. His bare skin, entire body, was hot, but pleasantly so, had Baekhyun internalizing in passing that Chanyeol was the equivalent of a human furnace. Chanyeol's shirt rode up with his hands, leaving his bare skin exposed to the cool air- but it was the sensation of skin against skin that had him shuddering. 

"Do you want to keep going?" He tried, carefully- a small smile pulling at his mouth when Chanyeol almost instantaneously nodded his head in ascent, movements jerky, the combination of nervous-eagerness making itself known. "Please, _please…_ " He breathed out- and really, who was Baekhyun to deny him when he was asking so nicely? 

As he pushed up his shirt a little further, he shifted down so that he was straddling Chanyeol's thighs instead- leaning in to press his lips against his skin and trailing soft, chaste kisses downwards, body sliding lower with each one. Chanyeol couldn't help but tense beneath each one- cock straining against the front of his pants, which Baekhyun was slowly trailing down towards. This was the farthest he'd ever gotten- _farthest_ he'd ever _allowed_ himself to get for fear of losing himself in the throes of pleasure and passion and accidentally starting a fire. 

With Baekhyun, it was different. The thought still lingered in his subconscious, but in the presence of Baekhyun, the possibility of igniting something became a lot less worrisome. A lot less likely. Being with Baekhyun was akin to receiving a breath of fresh air after being confined to a musty, dimly lit room for the better part of a decade. He made it easier to think, made it easier for him to _feel._ Made him _want_ to do so. 

Face level with his groin, Chanyeol's fingers clenched and unclenched as he waited in silent anticipation for Baekhyun to do something. To do _anything_ \- eyes heavy-lidded. 

When Baekhyun closed the gap and pressed his face against his hard cock through the barrier of fabric, the noise Chanyeol released was embarrassingly loud and high in pitch- but ultimately didn't seem to disturb the apparent cause. He mouthed at him through the material, took delight in the little whines and gasps he elicited, and _finally_ reached up with one hand to unfasten the front of his pants- leaving only the thin fabric of his briefs between his mouth, face, and Chanyeol's cock. 

Chanyeol choked out a moan that vaguely bore resemblance to ' _Baekhyun,'_ as he nuzzled in closer, making a show of breathing him in, making a show of _enjoying_ it, eyes shut in concentration. His dick twitched beneath the confines of his underwear when he felt Baekhyun's hot, wet breath ghost over him, thighs tensing. He was so hard that it _hurt._ So turned on that- 

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol gasped, a warning, wiggling beneath him, face and ears flushed red with around and embarrassment, "I… You're going to make me cum," He confessed, panting heavily as he peered down into Baekhyun's face. 

"That's the point, Chanyeol-" Baekhyun input coyly, pulling his briefs down and watching with unconcealed interest as his hard cock sprang up and slapped against his stomach- red, and swollen, with precum beading at the tip. Baekhyun felt his mouth water, licked his lips before leaning back in to press a kiss to the head- eyes inquiring. 

"B-but..." He trailed off into a groan, shaking his head frantically as though to clear it, "I- aren't we-" 

"Did you think I was only going to make you cum once?" He licked up the side of his shaft, open-mouthed and obscene, like he was enjoying every second, every inch. "It's your first time, right? You're about to cum already-" Chanyeol averted his eyes, something that felt a lot like shame burning his cheeks. 

"You're so sensitive, so receptive, that if I _were_ to stop now, you'd probably cum before I'd even managed to get all of you inside of me," He sealed his lips around the head, sucking gently as he pressed his tongue into the slit, remaining unfazed when Chanyeol bucked his hips up with a loud, desperate cry. 

He drew his head away with a loud, wet noise as he broke the suction. 

"I want to cum on your cock, Chanyeol. I want you to fuck me- you'll be less sensitive when you get hard again, and you'll last longer." He didn't wait for further prompting before diving back into the task at hand, sealing his lips around his cock once more and taking it in stride when Chanyeol bucked up hard enough to sheath his entire length in Baekhyun's hot mouth. He didn't gag, didn't choke, just swallowed around him, with involuntary tears beading at his eyes from the physical pressure, the effort exerted. 

He managed to bob his head once, twice, before Chanyeol was crying out his name and fisting at his thick blonde hair with both hands- effectively holding him in place as he came down his throat and into his mouth. 

Baekhyun just stroked his hands up and down the outsides of Chanyeol's thighs in silent assurance, before quickly pulling off of him with a wet slurp and a sharp gasp for breath before promptly breaking into a coughing fit, hand coming up to cover his mouth. 

Cum and drool had dripped down his chin, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes, hair tousled, cheeks red. Debauched, a complete mess, and almost unbearably sexy in spite of it. 

Baekhyun used the front of his own shirt to wipe off his face, before tugging it off over his head- allowing Chanyeol's eyes to rake over the expanse of smooth, lightly tanned skin- he'd seen him before, like this, but never in a situation where he'd experienced such extreme desire, or the strong urge to _take._ Perhaps it had taken him some time, to see him in such a light, to feel arousal burn hotter and hotter inside of him with every inch of bare skin he revealed. 

But he couldn't refute that he felt it now. 

His lips parted, mouth fell open of its own accord when Baekhyun shimmied out of his pants and underwear- lust darkening his eyes as he tracked his movements, took in each detail of his smaller body. His cock was seemingly equally as hard as his own had been, some moments prior- but went ignored for the time, as Baekhyun reached into the pockets of his jeans to fish out a small bottle of lube and a string of condoms. 

"Let's trade places," He suggested, "I want you to be able to watch me, to be able to see everything." Chanyeol peeled off the rest of his clothes before he sat back down at the end of the mattress, hands fisting into the sheets as Baekhyun propped himself up against the headboard and spread his legs. Exposing _everything-_ his level of confidence and shamelessness becoming apparent. 

He spread his legs as far as he could before bending his knees, drawing his legs up. He poured a liberal amount of lube onto his fingers, wetting his lips and closing his eyes in concentration as he slid his lower body down a little further. Baekhyun reached down between his legs, splayed almost obscenely wide, and true to his word, Chanyeol could see _everything._

Chanyeol watched him open himself up- beginning by rubbing his lube slicked fingers over his entrance in slow circles before slowly, carefully easing one inside- attempting to take deep, even breaths all the while, to get himself to relax beneath Chanyeol's gaze. 

He took his time, made sure he was enjoying it, beginning with one digit, before adding in a second and beginning to fingerfuck himself- pumping them in and out of his lube-slick hole with breathy little sighs leaving his parted lips. Halfway through, he poured some more onto his fingers, the minutes slowly ticking by as he added a third, and then his pinky finger alongside them. 

It was hot, Chanyeol decided- watching Baekhyun touch himself like this, seemingly lost in his own little world, his hard cock pressing into his abdomen. His sighs became needy, pitched moans, eyebrows drawing together and teeth biting into his bottom lip as his toes curled. 

After what felt like an eternity, Baekhyun finally opened his eyes- meeting his gaze with a loud, sharp keen as he curled, rubbed his fingers inside of him. It belatedly occurred to Chanyeol that he could make himself cum, just like this, cock untouched- but he'd made his desires clear. 

He'd seemingly made it past his refractory period- cock slowly filling once again- not completely hard, but he reasoned that he at least _would_ be, very, _very_ soon. 

He didn't allow himself to hesitate before closing the distance between them- making himself comfortable between Baekhyun's spread legs and pressing their mouths together once again, Baekhyun's opposite hand coming up to curl into his hair. It was bold, for him, he registered somewhere in the back of his mind- but bold wasn't a bad thing. Not when Baekhyun was so receptive, so eager to touch and to be touched in turn. 

The kiss was sloppy, breathy, but _deep,_ and passionate. Meaningful. 

It felt like it meant something, kissing Baekhyun. 

"Want you," Baekhyun breathed out, panting softly, and biting back a whimper when he pulled his fingers out- leaving him achingly empty. 

He started when Chanyeol grabbed his lips to drag him down beneath him on the mattress- gasping sharply as he fit himself between his legs once more and their cocks pressed together. He had the foresight to use more lube- Chanyeol slicking up his cock before holding his hips up to press inside of him- actions slow, and careful, inexperienced, but the mechanics of sex weren't a complicated process to grasp. 

" _Chanyeol_ ," Baekhyun whined, choking on a moan as his cock filled him- body, cock, impossibly hot. Almost _painfully_ so. 

"Oh, _gods,"_ He raked his nails down his back, shuddering at the deep, elongated groan Chanyeol emitted as the tightness of his body wrapped around him. 

" _Burns,"_ Baekhyun moaned out thoughtlessly, whimpering, squirming beneath him when Chanyeol made pause. Baekhyun hastily wrapped his legs around his waist to keep him in place, lest he consider pulling out in addition. 

Eyes bleary, he just _barely_ made out thesheer _panic_ written across Chanyeol's face. 

"What's…" A deep breath, "What's the matter, Yeol?" 

"Am I…" His voice wavered, so he cleared his throat and tried again, "Am I hurting you? B-burning you?" 

"What? No, no- just, please, _fuck,_ move, do _something_ -" He began rambling. 

"If I'm hurting you, then we need to stop-" Chanyeol cautioned, reluctantly. 

"I-I'm sorry, when, I get emotional or overwhelmed, I can't always control it well- it's just going to get worse." He confessed, shame and disappointment weighing down on him. 

" _Fuck_ , Chanyeol, I'm not _fragile_ just because I don't have an affinity for fire, possessing a different element doesn't suddenly mean you can break me- just _fuck me already_." 

The way the admission finally came out- casually, was almost humorous. He felt a thrill run through him, hearing that his running suspicion, his tentative _hope_ was the truth after all. 

Baekhyun began to protest, complain about his inaction once more, but abruptly cut himself off when Chanyeol began moving again- holding onto his hips and finally sheathing himself fully inside of Baekhyun. Tight. Hot. Lube making the glide that much smoother, that much easier. 

He paused for all of ten seconds, but drew his hips back before Baekhyun could utter a complaint. Could so much as think about doing so. Jaw clenched, eyebrows drawn together, Chanyeol began fucking him, hard, uneven thrusts that made Baekhyun silently resolve to teach him how to fuck someone _properly._ True to his word, his skin got hotter, a delicious burn against him, _inside_ of him, that tightened, heating the coil of arousal burning low in his gut. 

Chanyeol built up a rhythm- slightly stuttered, and inconsistent, but still _a rhythm_ nonetheless. 

But he was trying, Baekhyun could _see_ that he was trying, with the look of deep concentration on his face- not unlike a teenager who lacked awareness and coordination of his own body. It didn't feel bad- Chanyeol felt good, inside of him, but his pace was off-putting- Baekhyun decided to at least _attempt_ to remedy that. 

He dropped his legs down from around him, so that they were bracketing his hips instead, Chanyeol opening his eyes with thinly concealed confusion, curiosity, as Baekhyun reached down to still him, hands on hipbones. He released a deep groan of his name when Baekhyun pulled him in while rocking his hips downwards- slowly building up a new, even rhythm and effectively fucking himself on Chanyeol's cock. He continued until Chanyeol got the picture, mimicking the speed, the force, and feeling something like pride well up inside of him when Baekhyun began responding- soft, quiet, but undeniably _pleased_ moans. Moans, gasps, and cries of approval. 

His movements became more sure, more fluid, less awkward. 

"Raise my hips," Baekhyun demanded breathlessly, a degree of desperation audible in his tone. Chanyeol didn't question him, just reached down to do as instructed- fingers digging into each asscheek as he lifted his hips off the mattress. 

Baekhyun arched his back, inhaling shakily and hooking a leg around his hip, silently seeking out the angle that would ignite every nerve-ending with sharp, toe-curling pleasure. 

He startled Chanyeol by crying out his name, significantly louder than the noises he'd been making before- nearly pausing before thinking better of it, as Baekhyun tensed, clenched down around him. 

"R-right th-" A pitched whine, Baekhyun's hips undulating into each thrust, back arched so sharply that it couldn't _possibly_ be comfortable- nails biting into Chanyeol's arms, raking red trails down ivory flesh. 

Only too-loud, wanton moans followed suit- ringing out in the small room and forming a chorus with Chanyeol's stuttered groans, deep grunts, and the sound of skin slapping against skin. 

Predictably, with Baekhyun clenching down almost painfully tight around him, Chanyeol came first- gripping onto his hips a little tighter, fucking into him a little faster as he filled him with his release. 

But the reaction was almost immediate, Baekhyun's eyes rolling back and lips falling open on shallow gasps as his entire body shuddered, trembled, and his balls drew up tight, grip tightening on Chanyeol as though clinging onto him for dear life, like he needed to ground himself. 

Hot, it was _hot_ , impossibly so- Chanyeol in, and all around him, but most pertinently the feeling of his cum flooding his insides, like liquid fire filling his veins, burning him up from the inside out, like being filled with hot water just short of boiling. It burned, but _pleasantly_ so, and was more than enough to send him careening over the edge without any external stimulation, without Chanyeol even fucking him through it. The world faded out, made static with the sheer intensity of his orgasm- the sound of glass breaking not unfamiliar, but also quite possibly the least of his concerns. 

He came all over himself, breath hitching, mouth opening soundlessly, and Chanyeol watched with unconcealed fascination and enjoyment as his mouthy next-door neighbor, the nurse with a heart too big for his own body, the man who'd forced his way into his life, came undone beneath him. 

And promptly passed out. 

When he awoke again, he was clean and fully dressed- tucked in comfortably beneath clean, dry sheets. The familiar soreness in his lower back and ass was all the proof he needed to know that he'd _finally_ fucked his goofy neighbor who stared too much, and spoke too little- at least initially. But it would take someone being blind and deaf not to realize that Chanyeol had changed as he'd opened up, made his naivete known in the most endearing of ways, who exuded interest, love, without even realizing he was doing so. 

It wasn't a conquest, but an extreme desire that even Baekhyun himself didn't quite understand. 

Chanyeol was interesting. Intriguing. Someone who held a lot of pain, deep inside of him, who had gone through a lot, without an outlet, without someone to keep him grounded. Mentally, emotionally. Baekhyun could see that, _everyone_ could see that, if they looked closely enough. 

But as an elemental, there was a degree of pain, and suffering that only they as a species could understand. That only they could sympathize with. 

It was all any elemental could ever hope for to live a normal, _average_ , mundane life, without being found out, without needing to hide, to seclude themselves from others- because in a world like theirs, the only ones who could be trusted were one another. 

Provided they could keep their powers on lockdown, there wasn't much of anything to differentiate elementals from humans- but the surface, their primary functions and basic necessities, was where their resemblance and similarities ended. 

But each element came with its own, unique set of characteristics and features- some were harder to control, to suppress, than others. Destructive, offensive elements, as a rule, were more difficult to handle, more difficult to hide- strong emotions often giving way to meltdowns, to accidents, which could be surefire indicators of their affinity, and subsequent arrest, should the wrong person see it. The older one got, the easier it became to control. 

To one another, small holographic symbols of their respective elements were confirmation that they were of the same kind- a fact which wasn't nearly as well known as it should have been among elementals. The placement always differed, but they were marks that only elementals could see. 

Chanyeol's was behind his left ear- but Baekhyun had reason to believe that the fire elemental wasn't even aware of it- that it could be used to find solace, to find friends, brothers, in a hard and unforgiving world. 

Baekhyun had known from day one. 

But it took him outright professing it himself before Chanyeol _finally_ understood that they were the same. Different, but the same. The fact that he hadn't known, especially after having seen Baekhyun naked on more than just one occasion, told him that Chanyeol had never _had_ anyone to teach him. He reasoned that he could have saved himself a lot of pain if he'd known, but Chanyeol had been unobservant- eyes downcast, constantly fearing making himself visible, of drawing attention to himself, and consequently somehow giving himself away in the process. Chanyeol had lived in fear for the better part of his life. 

And Baekhyun's heart had hurt, to see the signs. 

They were the same signs he saw in the children that he treated, saw every day- the ones who'd lost everything, who were suffering before they could even get the chance to live. To _breathe._

Chanyeol just… Hadn't grown out of it. 

Silently, Baekhyun had resolved to change that- initially aiming for friendship, but soon finding that it had evolved into something way more complicated, way more deep, along the way. But Baekhyun had never been one to deny his own heart, to distrust or refuse his own feelings- he hadn't known whether or not he'd be met with a discernible level of success, but at the very least, he could try. He could extend his kindness to someone who _really_ needed it, despite being entirely unaware of his situation, of the details. 

As a light elemental, it was in his very _nature_ to do so. To be a source of light, not only physically, but emotionally, and mentally. 

Baekhyun's life had been by no means _easy,_ but coming from a family of light elementals had it's benefits- one couldn't be faulted for being empathetic, for helping one another, and it wasn't something that could get away on them, either, could cause harm, rather than good. 

His eyes flickered to Chanyeol as he entered the room- bandaids wrapped around his fingers, pasted randomly over his palms. Baekhyun arched an eyebrow, pointedly staring at them. 

Still, it took him a few seconds to realize- an undeniably sheepish expression writing over his features. 

"I… Cut myself," He elaborated simply, voice raspy. Baekhyun took silent satisfaction in the fact that _he'd_ done that, though he doubted he was faring much better. 

"The…" A pause, Chanyeol worrying at his bottom lip and betraying his slight embarrassment. "The lightbulbs… All of them broke, when you, uh…" 

Baekhyun's eyes widened a fraction, disbelieving. " _All_ of them? Like, physically broke?" 

"They all shattered," Chanyeol held up his crudely bandaged fingers, "I had to clean up the glass." 

Baekhyun's mouth opened and closed silently a few times before he swallowed dryly, averting his gaze. 

"Well… That's the first time _that's_ happened," He admitted quietly, raising his hand to scratch at his head. "Why didn't you wait and get me to clean it up?" He stretched his hands out towards him, fingers clasping and unclasping repeatedly in a silent beckon. 

"There was glass on the bed, too, and… I didn't want you to hurt yourself." He admitted quietly- going easily when Baekhyun made to pull him down onto the mattress. 

"You big baby…" He crooned, raising his hands to his lips to brush kisses over each palm and all ten of his fingers. "Be more careful, okay?" It almost felt like he was talking to one of the kids at the hospital- a dynamic he adopted, and came by quite naturally. Even moreso when Chanyeol offered him a small smile and a haste nod, "Okay." He reiterated. 

And then, a few seconds later, "Thank you, by the way…" Chanyeol murmured, continuing with Baekhyun's soft sound of inquiry, "For having… Sex with me." 

Baekhyun's subsequent laughter would have wounded him had he not raised a hand to stifle it, "You're saying that like I was doing you a _favor_ by sleeping with you. Allow me to clarify that I very much wanted you- I wasn't just being _friendly_ or charitable." 

A few beats of silence, "Oh…" 

"What did that mean to you, Chanyeol?" He tried, voice devoid of inflection, and he could practically feel Chanyeol's nervousness rising off of him in waves. 

A little more quietly, a little more gently, "How did being with me make you _feel_?" 

"Good. It felt… Good." He began before quickly amending himself, "I don't just mean physically, I mean… It felt good," He reiterated, turning his head to meet his eyes. 

"It felt right." 

A soft smile ghosted over Baekhyun's lips, "Good," He answered simply. 

"This is really cheesy and is making me kind of uncomfortable," Chanyeol admitted plainly. "It was good. I liked it, and I hope you liked it too." 

"I _definitely_ did- usually the lights will just flicker, or cut out and die entirely-" 

"Is that why my light bulbs were always burning out? _"_ Chanyeol interrupted, disbelieving. 

"But they've never _broken_ before. Just… Wow- I've never done anything that destructive with it before." 

"Join the club," Chanyeol muttered petulantly. 

"It _is_ kind of funny that the most offensive thing I've ever done with my ability happened when I was busy getting my brains fucked out." 

"You should have warned me that your cum was the temperature of the fucking sun before filling me with it. I had condoms for a _reason."_

"Sorry." 

"No you're not," Baekhyun snorted, daring Chanyeol to protest. 

"You're right, I'm not," He admitted, "But that's why I've never really… Been intimate with anyone else before." 

" _Never_?" 

"Well, there was this _one_ time, when I was 16, where I was making out with this really popular girl in her room-" 

Baekhyun arched an eyebrow. 

"And I accidentally lit her curtains on fire…" A smirk twitched at his lips, a fond memory, "They had to call the fire department. That was the third time I ever caused a house fire." 

"It's a good thing we live in these shitty apartments, then. No one will cry if they get burnt down." 

The fact that Baekhyun found humor in his admission, an admission which he felt deeply ashamed of, served to lighten the mood substantially- especially in the face of Baekhyun just having literally shattered glass over their heads and across his apartment. 

He really wasn't alone, with Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun wrapped himself up in Chanyeol's embrace just shortly thereafter, burying his face into his chest and burrowing in as close as physically possible. 

He wasn't alone, with Baekhyun, at _all._


End file.
